This term our assemblies have focussed on the theme of Anti-Bullying. Our current policy is available here:
Everything within these policies remains relevant but our work this term has introduced a few new ideas which I am keen to share with you.
Firstly, as has been the case since its launch in Dec 2021, the most important part of our Anti-Bullying work is Stand Up – Get Help!: click here to read in full.
Stand Up – Get Help! creates an ethos where asking for help with friendships is part of the expectation of our school. Please encourage your child to ask for help if they are worried about friendships or come to us on their behalf to let us know if there is a problem. If you know about issues at an early stage, they can usually be nipped in the bud before anyone starts to feel as if they are being bullied.
Our School Values of Friendship, Inclusion and Respect help us to be an anti-bullying school:
Friendship – not everyone is your friend – particularly as you get older, you don’t have something in common with all your peers. BUT, we do treat everyone with friendship at our school – we let them join in (inclusion) and we respect them.
THINK before you speak:
For example:
- telling someone they have a spot might be true but it is unnecessary and a bit unkind to draw attention to it.
- Telling someone quietly that they have a blob of paint on their face and might want to wash it off is kind and necessary but laughing and pointing at the blob of paint and telling everyone about it is unkind and unnecessary even if it is true,
- repeating something unkind that you have heard is unnecessary as well as unkind – it is much better to use Stand Up – Get Help! to help a friend if you feel someone is unkind.
- Asking someone if they’d like you to show them a new game is inspiring as it gets people playing together.
The Golden Rule:
If we keep the golden rule, we don’t retaliate when someone is unkind are hurts us. If we don’t like it we don’t do it back. This doesn’t mean that you need to put up with someone being unkind – you can stick up for yourself by using Stand-Up Get Up! Or stick up for friends by asking someone to stop or by asking for help.
All the major world religions and atheism and humanism have a version of the Golden Rule.
At assembly last week, I asked the children what do we do at our school to help us be a zero-bullying school. They gave all of the above examples which shows me that they understand these principles well. I would ask you to also discuss them at home.
Later this year, we will carry out a formal review of our anti-bullying policy and will include these new ideas brought by the children as well as seeking your feedback.
Please don’t hesitate to come to me sooner if you have any questions or concerns or if you are worried in any way about your child’s friendships or happiness.
Lucy Jess
